1. Technical Field
This invention relates to workshop tools and, more particularly, to a compact and portable hydraulic extracting and installing apparatus for providing users with an easy and convenient means of extracting and installing tight fitting components of hydraulic pumps, pulleys and many other fluid pressure inducing devices.
2. Prior Art
Hydraulic pumps, pulleys and many fluid pressure inducing devices are typically in use in a variety of machineries and motor vehicle components. Due to their mode of operation including high speed and extreme pressure applications, the components have to be force-fitted to ensure their integrity during use. Typical assemblies may include for example a pulley, shaft and bearing assembly of a vehicle engine; or a hydraulic power steering pump having a sleeve and a shaft tightly fitted together. The present invention relates to the extraction and installation of the tight fitting male and female members of these components.
Prior art including pullers used in grasping an object secured to a shaft and pulling the object off of the shaft are well known. Typically, such pullers include a plurality of clamped jaws which are located about the object with grasping ends of the jaws engaging the object to be removed from the shaft. A central pusher element will be driven against the end of the shaft to pull the jaws and clamped object over and off of the shaft. The prior art devices used for this purpose typically includes a plurality of bolting and screw members together with clamping members to effect a push or pull action depending on the direction of the object to be extracted or installed. These devices require a high turning force to induce the pushing or pulling member to move in a direction in line with the movement of the object to be extracted or installed. A slight movement or misalignment of the tools may result in repeating the assembly process or repositioning the device and work piece, a task that may take hours and may result in damage to the delicate component(s). There is currently no compact and portable power assisted extracting and installing device readily available to the average mechanic that would allow him to remove or install the object intact in a lesser period of time.
Accordingly, a need remains for an apparatus in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a compact and portable hydraulic extracting and installing apparatus that is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, versatile in its applications, and designed for extracting and installing tight fitting components of hydraulic pumps, pulleys and many fluid pressure inducing devices typically in use in a variety of machineries and motor vehicle components.